16 Limited Time Offer Examples & Creation Guide

A limited-time offer is one of the most effective sales strategies designed to create urgency and speed up customer decision-making. Whether you're launching a new product, clearing seasonal inventory, or running a quick revenue boost campaign, a time-limited promotion motivates immediate action through the scarcity of the offer and its perceived value.

This sales strategy typically involves discounts, exclusive gifts, bundled deals, or early access offers available for a short period. These tactics boost conversions and support broader sales objectives, including increasing average order value (AOV), reducing cart abandonment, and re-engaging inactive customers.

What makes limited-time offers so effective is the psychological principle of fear of missing out (FOMO). By setting a clear deadline, you encourage customers to act quickly, removing hesitation and creating a sense of exclusivity around your offer.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What a limited-time offer is and how it works
• 16 real-world examples of limited-time offers with templates to replicate
• How to build a limited-time offer using Claspo
• Key sales benefits of short-term promotions
• Practical tips on how to use limited-time offers effectively

If you're looking to increase conversions, generate leads, and drive more purchases, our how-to guide will show you how to turn urgency into sales.

What Is a Limited-Time Offer and How Does It Work?

A time-limited offer is a classic eCommerce marketing technique based on the buyer’s desire to avoid loss. The core limited time offer meaning lies in urgency. When customers feel like they might be missing out, they act fast and buy stuff, even if they didn’t mean to. 

That’s why limited-time offers work so well in eCommerce and direct-to-consumer marketing. Special deals usually contain:

• A clear time limit (e.g., “Ends in 24 hours” or “This weekend only”)
• A compelling incentive, like free shipping, a special gift, or a discount code
• A trigger for urgency (encouraging CTA or countdown timer)

You’ve seen such deals in the form of ads, campaigns, popups, banners, email offers, and anything else that you can name. This is a powerful way to promote your limited-time offer directly on your landing page. The right limited time offer design grabs attention instantly and pushes customers to act before the special deal disappears.

Do you remember when you were in a bookstore wandering around, reading every book spine? And now, remember a table with books at a huge discount? We are sure you’ve bought several of those. Were they the ones you ended up in a store in the first place? We doubt it. But the price! And that’s exactly how a limited-time sale works.

And because of its urgency, more and more people buy goods without giving them a second thought. Some marketing specialists say that it works like a miracle. However, any game and campaign have their own rules that are necessary for fair play. The limited-time promotion has its own, and you must follow this perfect recipe to get the most out of this campaign.

16 Limited-Time Offer Examples with Templates

Now that you understand the limited offer meaning and how it impacts customer behavior, let’s explore our limited time offer sample roundup to inspire your next campaign. It’s time to get more customers and more purchases!

1. Tripwire

A tripwire is a low-cost product that is worth far more than its cost. The main goal of a tripwire is to lower your audience's resistance to buying and smoothly guide them into your sales funnel. Common eCommerce tripwire examples include: 

• A healthy meal for $10
• Phone diagnostics for $1
• Access to a premium training program for an Instagram subscription

With such a product, the user is involved in the sales funnel, remembers the company, and more often applies to the main product. Tripwire creates a positive first impression and inspires confidence in the client, so it is important to give the maximum benefit. Then, they will be convinced of the value you offer and will return for more.

Tripwires are often featured on dedicated landing pages or in strategically timed popups, which work magic for first-time conversions. This liquor-oriented website knows how to grow an email list and drive immediate engagement. A rare shopper would ignore a high-value gift, especially when all it takes is submitting an email. The entry barrier is as low as it could be, luring visitors to their sales funnel. On top of this, the copy highlights the exclusivity and value of the offer. This is exactly how eCommerce tripwires work: deliver value, create a positive brand impression, and build the email list.

The floating bar at the top of the Quip website promotes a subtle yet effective tripwire offer. It encourages first-time conversions by offering a low-cost, high-value product as a reward for a simple subscription. Besides, the automatic addition to the cart reduces friction.

Use this template

Tipwires can be tailored to virtually any niche. One of the popular one time offer examples is to offer a free guide in exchange for an email address. This provides immediate value and helps grow your email list for future email marketing efforts. 

2. Cross-Sell

When you offer a related product, you are doing a cross-sell. Please note that such a limited deal should make the client feel cared for, not deceived, so do not forget to offer what your customers are interested in, but not products that have been in stock for years.

Take a look at how Nike maximizes sales from a single pair of sneakers. They suggest 10 complete looks, each featuring at least five complementary items. Every piece is clickable and takes you directly to its product page. A smart, strategic move from a seasoned retailer.

Use this template

3. Upsell

This method increases the average order value because you are selling a more expensive product or service to the client. It is important to offer a more expensive product before placing an order. The customer clicks on the “Buy” button before entering the card details. 

In this example, on the bag page, Claire’s offers a carousel of related items priced higher than the one in the cart. The design is rather user-friendly, and auto-animated cards let shoppers take a look at all upsell items. A well-designed limited time offer UI will not confuse the user and will help you drive sales.

Use this template

4. Bundle

The bundle is an offer to purchase multiple products at a discounted rate. These e-commerce packages benefit both shoppers and store owners. 

Customers are more likely to click such popups because they can purchase a bundle and save money. In addition, they get to test new items with fewer dangers. Bundles drive sales, reduce marketing costs, and maintain low-selling products on the shelves.

Use this template

5. Flash Sale

Flash sale is a rare product at a meager price. An extraordinary approach to moving things that are either out of season or have been in catalogs for a while is through flash sales. On the other hand, selling products that have been in a warehouse for a short or even lengthy time allows a business to create a way for newer inventory that is selling quickly, which lowers operational and inventory costs. 

Below, we can see one of the standout limited time offer examples in marketing from Chico’s. A full-screen flash sale widget grabs the immediate attention of the website visitors. Note that the brand offers several discounts, so there is something for everyone. It doesn’t matter what you're shopping for or how much you plan to spend, after seeing this deal, you’ll end up buying more.

Moreover, flash sales help raise brand awareness. They can significantly increase your visibility by bringing your store to the attention of bloggers and bargain sites all over the Internet. Use pop-ups to inform buyers about your other items and value proposition, even though they may only serve as a temporary stimulus.

Talking about UI, not all popups need to be loud or take over the whole screen. Sometimes, a simple timer on a slide-in or floating bar can work just as well. Take a look at Muji, which is famous for its minimalist aesthetic. Even their limited-time offers keep things simple on their website. 

For inspiration on how to implement this tactic effectively, check out our article with countdown timer examples that show how urgency can speed up purchasing decisions and boost conversions.

Use this template

6. Exit Limited-Time Offer Pop-Up

To capture visitors’ attention, you need to ensure that relevant messages appear in front of them at the moment of their greatest receptivity. In practice, it isn’t easy to achieve. To do this, use the exit-intent pop-ups technology, in which information appears after the user decides to leave the site. Such pop-ups remain invisible until the user starts moving the mouse toward the top of the page. At this point, the site makes one last attempt to get the customer’s attention with a popup.

User intent is tracked in the following way:

• the cursor moves to the button that closes the tab;
• the cursor moves to the address bar, where you can enter the address to go to another page;
• the browser is closed.

The purpose of such a popup is to stop a visitor who has expressed an intention to leave the page.

For instance, here Skims uses an exit-intent popup based on what you’ve put in your cart to keep you from leaving just one step away from completing your purchase.

Exit Pop-Up Structure

The conversion rate of a website or an online store depends on the structure of the exit popup software. Exit popup usually contains:

• attractive offer (promotions, discounts, bonuses);
• strong heading;
• interesting content;
• bright picture;
• a powerful call to action.

The effectiveness of this technique also depends on the location of the popup window. It should be located so that the shopper can pay attention to it while acting unobtrusively. The easiest way is to install it in the center or bottom of the screen, right or left. Different popup windows are used depending on the section from which the visitor exits the site (contacts, shopping cart, or catalog).

Use this template

Using the Claspo drag-and-drop pop-up builder, you can add and fully customize your widgets on the web. In your personal account, you can choose from a variety of pop-up ad templates with a countdown timer and set widget display conditions.

Use this template

For example, using contrasting images and brand colors, you can create a countdown timer pop-up to add some urgency to your offer and give potential customers 15 minutes to get free shipping.

7. Holiday-Related Offers

This never-ending story can affect your products and services as much as ads and campaign ideas. We have holidays all year round, and many people look for presents or specific items for holidays, like a plush heart pillow for Valentine’s Day. You can use this knowledge for limited-time promotions to boost sales. Among all holidays and events, the most marketing-driven are:

• Start of the school year
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Black Friday
• Cyber Monday
• Christmas
• New Year
• St. Valentine’s Day
• Easter
• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day
• School breaks
• Your brand’s birthday

You can get a turnout for any existing holiday, awareness month, or observance. The products that fall under your limited-time sale can be specific and related to the event. 

Choose your next holiday template

8. Personal Anniversary Sales

You can celebrate your small and big wins with your clients to gain more trust from them and get more loyal customers. As soon as you hit many users or any other important milestone, throw a limited-offer party with your best products. Besides the purchase growth, you’ll also connect with your customers more. 

A full-screen inline banner featuring Hailey Bieber combines emotional appeal (brand milestone + celebrity presence) with a clear incentive, making it a great limited-time offer example. It works especially well for community-driven beauty brands where loyalty and lifestyle are key selling points.

9. Loyal Clients Limited Offer

You probably know most of your constant shoppers and clients if you are a small business. You can make them a present in the form of a limited-time offer.

Such campaigns don’t have to be loud. You can just notify your brand’s friends with a simple email or a popup, saying that you value your friendship. 

Use this template

If you want to reach a bigger audience, you can post this campaign on your social media page so users who follow you can use this limited-time deal. We are sure that each of your loyal existing customers will feel appreciated and happy after receiving good word from you. 

10. Clearance Limited-Time Deal Examples

You’ve seen such offers where the brand is selling everything off. Such campaigns are usually season-driven, meaning brands try to get rid of everything they have before getting a new collection. 

For such campaigns, brands usually set generous offers. For some people, this might not be an option, especially if the brand offers fashion-related goods, and the buyer is a fashion mogul who has to have everything right after the release. But for most people, such promotions are perfect for getting new clothing items at a better price. 

Victoria’s Secret, a brand adored by many women, uses a textbook example of an effective limited-time offer widget design. It has everything: bold visuals, easy navigation, and an irresistible promotion.

Use this template

11. Weather-Driven Offers

There are always hot and cold seasons. We know this sounds too obvious, but we have to tell you about this. Use this information to plan your limited-time offers. 

During hot months or seasons, eCommerce brands can sell related items that people are most likely to buy. And during the cold season or month, you can do the opposite. 

Use this template

However, you can sell off your aging stock for cold weather for a good price, offering people to get ready when it is cold. The same offer you can create for the hot weather.

Use this template

Use a countdown template to show when your deal ends. It helps people hurry up and get your offer before it’s gone.

12. Seasonal Offers

Some products are only good for specific seasons. For example, you won’t buy Easter bunnies and eggs for Christmas. So, plan your limited-time special offer before the holiday season, allowing people to choose your business over others and purchase your goods and services at a favorable price. Besides, you won’t have many Easter items right after Easter ends. 

Use this template

13. New Customer Special Offer Examples

You can run a limited-time promotion for new customers. This will attract new customers, some of whom will be your loyal customers after a while.

For instance, Savage x Fenty targets new visitors with a special popup campaign, offering a generous 60% discount for joining their membership program. The gamified mechanic is fun and engaging, since visitors don’t know what they’ll get, but the offer still feels exclusive. The chances of conversion are rather high as visitors reveal they are treated with the substantial 60% discount.

Another mechanic is the classic side slide-in, which can meet shoppers on any page at any moment of their journey without disrupting the shopping experience. Besides, a “Collapse” button respects user autonomy and allows shoppers to dismiss the promo if they prefer to get to know the brand first.

Use this template

With Claspo, you can also target newcomers and offer limited-time discount codes to boost sales and reward prospects for choosing your brand.

14. Customer Anniversaries Offer

Celebrate your customers as much as you can. Customers’ anniversaries using your business products or services are the best way to start with. And it doesn’t matter if the customer is not that loyal. You can approach a first-time buyer with such an offer so that they will eventually purchase something from you again.

15. Customer Birthday Offer

There’s nothing better than birthday presents. Everyone loves them, and everyone loves to pamper themselves on such occasions. Allow your users to do so. Send a nice offer, discount, or coupon to celebrate the birthday and get the product that they have wanted for a long time. Besides getting a purchase, you’ll build better relations with your customers who appreciate such gestures. 

Use this template

16. Free Shipping Offers

Here’s a secret for you: no one likes to pay for shipping. It’s like you could buy something else for that amount of money that you have to spend on shipping. So, to be a nice brand that values its customers, run a limited-time offer of free shipping. People will get everything they have in their favorite lists or their carts, no doubt. 

Use this template

You can also attract new customers who would also like to buy your products if you offer a free shipping option. This is one of the best offers that you can run. 

Many stores have it on a regular basis, but the overall purchase price has to start from a specific amount of money. If you think such an approach won’t work for your business, you can try it as a limited-time offer, place it on a popup, and test it. 

Use this template

How to Create Limited-Time Deals with Claspo

Claspo lets you create various website widgets, including limited-time offers. The intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it simple to customize everything — buttons, fields, and all the little nuances — so they look just right for your website and talk clearly to your visitors.

Choose the lifetime free subscription plan and follow the simple six-step process to set up your deals.

Step 1. Choose a Template

Start by selecting a pre-built template that fits your campaign goal. There are over 1000 customizable templates in our library, including:

• Countdown popups for flash sales
• Promo bars to announce seasonal deals or a free shipping offer
• Exit-intent popups to save abandoned carts with a time-sensitive offer
• Floating boxes that stay visible as users scroll

All templates are mobile-responsive, and you can easily switch between layouts in the builder. This also saves you time since you don’t need to do extra work of adjusting your widget for mobile.

Step 2. Customize Your Offer

1. Use Claspo’s drag-and-drop editor to add new elements into your widget (e.g., images, timers, buttons). 
2. Play around to find the perfect format for your specific deal. Click to remove any component or update:

• Headline text (e.g., “Only 24 Hours Left!”)
• Colors, fonts, and CTA button styles
• Discount codes, coupon messages, or icons

Need visuals? Use Claspo’s free image library or upload your own.

Step 3. Set Up Smart Targeting & Triggers

Make sure your deal appears at the right time for the right audience. For this, you can:

• Trigger the offer based on scroll depth, time on page, or exit intent
• Set display frequency with silence intervals so users aren’t overwhelmed
• Use overlap protection to avoid stacking multiple widgets
• Target by device type, geolocation, or traffic source (like UTM parameters)

For example, you can show a weekend-only deal only to mobile visitors from paid ad campaigns.

Step 4. Add Optional Lead Collection

Want to collect emails in exchange for your limited-time deal?

1. Add an email input field to your widget.
2. Include a GDPR/consent checkbox for compliance.
3. Connect your widget to tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot, or any CRM via Zapier or native integration.

Step 5. Install Claspo on Your Website

If you're on WordPress, use the Claspo plugin to publish your widget. It’s lightweight, fast, and works out of the box. If you’re new to this sort of thing, we’ve got you covered and have added a simple illustrated instruction on how to do it right.

If you’re using another CMS, just copy the embed script from Claspo and paste it into your site’s header.

Step 6. Test, Launch & Optimize

Finally, preview your widget on desktop and mobile before going live. This final step will help ensure that everything meets your expectations, both in terms of appearance and functionality. 

Hit ‘Publish’ and wait for the first results. To improve them, run A/B tests on headlines, layouts, button text, or images. For example, try testing:

• “15% Off Today Only” vs. “Limited-Time 15% Discount”
• Red vs. green CTA buttons
• Urgency timers vs. static deals

Even with Claspo’s free plan, you have access to full analytics to track impressions, conversions, and behavior so that you can optimize your campaign based on data.

Main Advantages of Using Limited-Time Deals

1. They create a sense of urgency 

Limited-time offer ads and available stock both play with the concept of scarcity. People are more driven to act quickly when there is a limited quantities of goods or if it is only available for a certain period.

According to the studies, scarcity is one of the largest influencers on purchase decisions. Making your products appear scarce through limited offers is an excellent method to tilt the scales from interest only to a more serious intention to buy.

2. They draw in new clients

Online buyers are typically a little apprehensive about making purchases from unknown e-commerce companies. There is no potential for an in-person connection, and shoppers cannot view or test things before making a purchase.

However, consumers are also highly price-sensitive. Visitors who have never experienced your brand before are more likely to try a product if they can get it for half the price or with a gift. People view the chance to check out new stores as an opportunity when a temporary discount is present. Since the price is lower, there is less danger; thus, they are more inclined to make their initial buy.

3. They encourage consumer loyalty

Special limited-time sales not only attract new customers but also maintain the interest of existing ones. Even devoted clients get limited-time offers. These offers make customers feel special, so they’re more likely to buy something while the sale is on. And if you show the popup at just the right time, these visitors might come back to your store more often!

Through your email newsletter or specifically targeted popups, you may even present your limited-time deals as a discount that is “only for loyal consumers.”

4. They allow you to test new products

Limited time is a way to sell a new product so customers can experience it. Thus, you do not invest much money in a novelty at once. And after the end of the offer, you can already decide whether to continue releasing it or not.

Tips on How to Use Limited-Time Offers Effectively

Creating a superb limited-time offer is not just about writing everywhere that you have one, but also doing it with class and friendliness. This art has much more than just throwing text over a picture on a popup. Let’s see how you can make a perfect limited-time, unique offer campaign. 

Keep It Simple

Thanks to the clip thinking, any person has about 12 seconds of attention span. And that’s what you have to face when creating popup with a marketing text. We advise you to avoid unnecessary details and get straight into the topic of your offer: what, when, and why you offer what you offer. Your popup design should be clean as well. There should be no distractions so the users can easily understand what you want from them.

Show What Users Can Lose

It is unbearable when you can’t have something. And you can use this as a pain point for your limited-offer campaign. State that this is the only time you’ll sell these items for a good price, and if all of them are gone, you won’t have a new stock. The loss aversion that the users might face after such a message can do wonders for your promotion campaign. 

Make It Urgent

You’ve heard about FOMO. It is the bread and butter of any limited-time promotion campaign. Everyone is scared of missing some information, news, products, or sales. Marketing specialists tend to use it to motivate customers to buy products. Happily, this is extremely easy to awaken a sense of urgency in any customer. Place a ticking timer that counts down your limited-time special offer. 

Don’t Overuse It

Don’t create one limited-time offer after another. This is extremely dangerous in the long run. Yes, you can grow your revenue for a short period of time, but you can lose your stock value during a more extended period. Besides, if users understand that you run one discount campaign after another, they’ll stop buying from you anything at full price. 

Run A/B Tests

Don’t guess which type of limited-time offer will work and which won’t. You have an A/B testing tool that will answer all your questions. Learn your competitors, run optimization, and be the best on the market. A/B testing is an excellent tool, as you can’t be sure 100% whether customers will prefer one offer over another. 

Conclusion

Using limited-time offers in your marketing strategy is a smart move. People enjoy good deals, and you have an opportunity to connect with and befriend them, which will eventually make them loyal to your brand. Use our tips and examples when creating your campaign, and don’t forget to analyze your results and talk to your customers. These are the key tools for any marketing strategy.